Department for Transport

Penrith (North Lakes) Station

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to return to use the former Station Master's house at Penrith North Lakes Railway Station.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department has no plans to return to use the former Station Master's house at Penrith North Lakes railway station.

Railways: Penzance

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of retaining the sleeper train between Penzance and London to the economy of the South West.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department for Transport last sought the public’s views on the Great Western franchise in the consultation starting in November 2017. The response, published in August 2018, did not identify specific issues or concerns about the London-Penzance sleeper service.

Heathrow Airport: Railways

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of the Western Rail Link to Heathrow; and how much of that cost will be contributed by Heathrow Airport.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The total nominal capital cost for the Western Rail Link to Heathrow, in 2018 prices, is estimated at around £1.5bn to construct the rail link between Heathrow Airport Station and the Great Western Main Line. For the scheme to proceed, the Government has been clear that Heathrow Airport Limited would need to secure and provide an acceptable financial contribution.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Hospitality Industry

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) protect, and (2) promote, the hospitality sector in the (a) short, (b) medium, and (c) long, term.

Lord Callanan: The Government moved to Plan B in England as it was necessary to control the spread of transmission of the new threat posed by the Omicron variant and the potential impact on businesses. In order to support all businesses across the UK economy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic we have provided businesses with an unprecedented support package of £400 billion, including grants, loans, business rates relief, VAT cuts and the job retention scheme. This includes a total of over £26bn in business grants.  The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) fund is open until March 2022. We are also engaging closely with the hospitality sector to listen to their concerns and help them in their recovery. Additionally, we are working closely with the sector through the Hospitality Sector Council to implement the hospitality strategy which was launched in July. The strategy sets out how the UK government will work with the hospitality sector, as it reopens and recovers from COVID-19, to build the sector’s longer-term resilience. It includes a dedicated recovery working group, made of sector organisations, businesses and government officials, looking at solutions to manage urgent Covid 19 impacts on the sector.

Biofuels: Sustainable Development

Baroness Boycott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Callanan on 13 December (HL Deb, col 2), what are the "strict sustainability criteria" bywhich biomass operators abide; and whether these criteria allow operators to source wood pellets from virgin forests.

Lord Callanan: The UK has strict sustainability criteria in place for biomass use. For biomass power generation supported under the Renewables Obligation scheme, the sustainability criteria are outlined in Schedules 1, 2, and 3 of the Renewables Obligation Order, which are publicly available on the legislation.gov.uk website.

Biofuels: Sustainable Development

Baroness Boycott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response byLord Callanan on 13 December (HL Deb, col 3) that the "evidence is independently audited", who undertakes such assessments; what percentage of imports are assessed; and how many independent audits have found that biomass products used have not met the sustainability criteria.

Lord Callanan: The assessments are performed by independent auditors who are qualified to perform assurance engagements in accordance with the International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3000 (Revised) and the relevant legislation (Article 84(3) of the Renewables Obligation Order 2015). Annual sustainability audit reports are performed in line with the ISAE 3000 (Revised) standards. The auditor will select a limited assurance sample, taken from all biomass products, based on a risk assessment. Ofgem publish independently verified information on how generators have reported against the sustainability criteria in their annual biomass datasets and RO annual reports, which can be found on Ofgem’s website. The information for Drax in these datasets shows that no instances have been found where fuels at Drax have been reported as unsustainable.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Viscount Stansgate: To ask Her Majesty's Government when COVID-19 booster vaccines will be recorded in the Covid Pass within the NHS app.

Lord Kamall: The NHS COVID Pass can now be used to demonstrate proof of a booster or third dose for outbound international travel. This is visible through the NHS App and NHS.UK within the NHS COVID Pass for Travel.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Cooper of Windrush: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the NHS app willrecordCOVID-19 vaccinations administered to UK citizens while working or studying in EU member states.

Lord Kamall: English residents who have received vaccinations overseas, including in European Union Member States, can now have their vaccination details recorded in the National Health Service vaccine database. Individuals can then generate an NHS COVID Pass for domestic use and international travel if they meet certain certification requirements.

Travel: Coronavirus

Lord Tyrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Kamall on 12 October (HL2767), in which format the data relating to the number of COVID-19 PCR tests for travel is held; and what plans they have, if any, to publish this data.

Lord Kamall: Data on the number of COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for travel was previously held for arrivals from ‘red’ and ‘amber’ list countries.Data on testing for international arrivals from red list and non-red list countries, including confirmatory PCR tests, from 30 September 2021 is published weekly in an online only format at GOV.UK.

Ministry of Justice

Prerogative of Mercy

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Wolfson of Tredegar on 18 November (HL4189), why their records only date back to 2014; whether they were transferred to other government departments; and if so, which ones.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The previous answer of 2014 referred to above was an error. Records held in the Ministry of Justice date back to May 2003 and the answer should have been clear that records therefore date back 18 years. We now know that records were originally held by the Home Office and were transferred to the Ministry of Justice after it was created in May 2007. These records are selected for permanent preservation and are transferred to The National Archives. I can confirm that no applications for Royal Prerogative of Mercy were recommended to Her Majesty the Queen for terrorism related offences during this time.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

India: Detainees

Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of India to advocate for the release of human rights activists in that country, including Khurram Parvez.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government will continue to encourage all states to ensure domestic laws are in line with international standards and to cooperate with UN human rights officials and all mechanisms of the Human Rights Council. Our position is clear, that any allegation of human rights abuse is deeply concerning and must be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently.We engage with India on a range of human rights matters, and we raise our concerns directly with the Government of India, including at ministerial level, where we have them.

Iraq: Turkey

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Turkish airstrikes in Khanasor, Iraq and the reported targeting of Marwan Badal; and whether they have made representations to the government of Turkey about their attacks in Sinja, Iraq; and if so, what response they have received.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of reports of airstrikes and the death of Yekîneyên Berxwedana Şengalê‎ (YBS) commander Marwan Badal Khudida. We continue to reiterate the importance of dialogue and cooperation between Iraq and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security and protect civilians.

Iran: Demonstrations

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Iran following the use of force against protesters in Isfahan in recent weeks.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK firmly supports the right to peaceful protest and has designated Iran as a Human Rights Priority Country. We continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor human rights record, and call on President Raisi to set Iran on a different course, which includes committing to improving human rights in Iran.

Xinjiang: Minority Groups

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of oppression of minority groups in the Xinjiang region in China.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: There are serious human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang, including the extra-judicial detention of over a million Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in "political re-education camps" since 2017, systematic restrictions on Uyghur culture and the practice of Islam, and extensive and invasive surveillance targeting minorities.The UK Government is committed to working with our international partners to stand up for the rights of Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang and to hold China to account for its serious human rights violations in the region.

Iran: Nuclear Weapons

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Iranhas developed a system to create nuclear weapons.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Iran has been in non-compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments since 2019. Its nuclear programme is now more advanced than ever before.We are currently engaged in negotiations in Vienna aimed at restoring the JCPoA. Iran must now decide whether to conclude the fair and comprehensive deal on the table, for the benefit of the Iranian people and economy, or collapse the JCPoA. In this scenario, we would carefully consider all the options in partnership with our allies.

Ethiopia: Food Aid

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the humanitarian relief effort in Ethiopia of the UN's suspension of food distribution in the Amhara region; and in particular, on the number of deaths of children in that region.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: This conflict in Ethiopia has caused a humanitarian catastrophe, with the UN estimating that 9.4 million people across the north of the country require life-saving aid. Over 400,000 people in Tigray are experiencing famine-like conditions. The context could not be more serious.We remain extremely concerned about the limited delivery of humanitarian aid across northern Ethiopia with conflict and access restrictions hindering the ability of aid agencies to work. Such restrictions are also complicating the conduct of needs assessments meaning we lack a detailed understanding of humanitarian requirements across northern Ethiopia. However, experience from other contexts shows us that young children bear the brunt of such crises. For example it is likely that many children in Afar, Amhara and Tigray have succumbed to otherwise preventable diseases such as diarrhoea due to the limited availability of clean water and healthcare and nutritional services.

Ethiopia: Food Aid

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the parties engaged in the conflict in Ethiopia to permit the resumption of food distribution by the UN in areas affected by that conflict.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: This conflict in Ethiopia has caused a humanitarian catastrophe, with the UN estimating that 9.4 million people across the north of the country require life-saving aid. Over 400,000 people in Tigray are experiencing famine-like conditions. The context could not be more serious.Since the outset of the conflict in November 2020 the UK has continually advocated for unfettered access for all humanitarian actors. In its interactions with the various warring parties UK Ministers and FCDO officials have repeatedly stressed the criticality of free access for aid agencies.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Environment: Crime

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by the Parliament of Belgium to create an offence of ecocide; and what plans they have to introduce legislation to make ecocide an offence in the UK.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We do not currently have plans to introduce such a law in the UK, but we have strengthened regulations in England in recent months to protect the environment. These are enforced by a variety of regulators including the newly-established Office of Environmental Protection, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Forestry Commission, the Marine Management Organisation, Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, local authorities and Defra itself. Many of these regulators are able to seek criminal convictions to punish significant or persistent environmental offending and to create a deterrent against future non-compliance. They also have access to a broader suite of civil sanctions for many of the offences they are responsible for enforcing.

Livestock: Dogs

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat to livestock from dogs not under control of their owners.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government takes the issue of livestock worrying very seriously, recognising the distress this can cause farmers and animals as well as the financial implications, which can be very significant. Following recent reports on the issue, including by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, we are taking forward recommendations to modernise the relevant legal framework (the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953) for dealing with incidents of dogs attacking or worrying livestock. We have carried out targeted consultation with key stakeholder groups representing interested parties, including roundtable events. This approach has allowed us to build consensus and reach a significant level of technical detail in terms of our policy development and consultation. Representatives from the police, farming and livestock associations, veterinary bodies and dog welfare groups have all been engaged in this process. We have introduced these changes in the current Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill. Through this Bill we are enhancing the enforcement mechanisms available to the police and expanding the scope of livestock species and locations covered by the law. These improved powers will enable the police to respond to livestock worrying incidents more effectively – making it easier for them to collect evidence and, in the most serious cases, seize and detain dogs to reduce the risk of further incidents.

Sky Lanterns: Rural Areas

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the risk of (1) fire, and (2) other serious issues, caused by sky lanterns being released in rural areas.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Local authorities have powers to restrict or ban the use of sky lanterns on council or public land. Councils in England, Scotland and Wales can choose to apply such a ban where a local need exists.

Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 have been applied each of the last two years.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 ban the commercial third-party sale of puppies and kittens in England. This amendment, also known as Lucy's Law, came into force in April 2020. Any cases of pet dealers attempting to circumvent the ban on third-party sales should be reported to the relevant local authorities, as enforcers of the legislation. Defra does not hold the data for the application of Lucy’s Law by local authorities. Defra recognises that raising awareness of deceitful sellers is another integral step towards tackling low-welfare and illegal supply of puppies. That is why we launched the communications campaign "Petfished" in March 2020 to raise the public's awareness of the consequences of buying from a low-welfare seller and challenging the assumption that it is easy to spot bad practice. The campaign also signposts to resources available to help people make good decisions and source from responsible breeders or rehoming centres in the UK.

Home Office

Refugees: Afghanistan

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the implications for Afghan refugees who have been housed in 'bridging' hotels and have voluntarily moved to temporary accommodation as regards their (1) immigration status, and (2) long-term support.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Whether residing in bridging hotels or alternative temporary accommodation, Afghans who were evacuated to the UK will retain the same temporary grant of leave issued to them upon arrival in the UK and, upon fulfilment of caseworking criteria, will receive indefinite leave to remain.Afghans who were evacuated to the UK during, and post, Operation Pitting will receive integration support appropriate to their individual circumstances.

Sex Establishments: Licensing

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce nationalminimum conditions for any unlicensed sexual entertainment provided in accordance with exemption available under paragraph 2A (3) (b) of Schedule 3 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Local authorities have powers to control the number and location of lap dancing clubs and similar venues in their area. These powers are not mandatory and only apply where they are adopted by Local Authorities. Where adopted, these provisions allow local authorities to refuse an application on potentially wider grounds than is permitted under the Licensing Act 2003 and give local people a greater say over the regulation of lap dancing clubs and similar venues in their area. Under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 Act, Local Authorities can consider whether granting a licence for a lap dancing club would be appropriate, having regard to the character of the area and the use to which other premises in the vicinity are put. For example, a Local Authority may decide that it would be inappropriate to grant a licence for a lap dancing club in a residential area or next door to a school. This arrangement allows Local Authorities to take the most appropriate approach for their local area, ensuring that local people are able to contribute to the development of their community. Protecting those involved in prostitution and sex work from harm is also a strand of our wider work to eradicate violence against women and girls (VAWG). In 2019 the police updated the National Policing Sex Work and Prostitution Guidance – this makes clear that the safety of people engaged in sex work must be paramount to the police service. Since 2016, the Government has provided over £2 million to specialist organisations supporting those involved in sex work and prostitution.

Cabinet Office

Coronavirus: Death

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people who have died from COVID-19 related conditions at home since the beginning of the first lockdown in March 2020.

Lord True: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond. Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician The Lord ChidgeyHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW 15 December 2021 Dear Lord Chidgey, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of people who have died from COVID-19 related conditions at home since the beginning of the first lockdown in March 2020 (HL4828). The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing statistics on deaths registered in England and Wales. National Records Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for publishing the number of deaths registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. Mortality statistics are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. Cause of death is defined using the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th edition (ICD-10). Deaths involving COVID-19 are defined by the ICD-10 codes U07.1, U07.2, U09.9 and U10.9. Table 1 provides the total number of deaths registered and deaths involving COVID-19, in all locations and occurring in private homes, in England and Wales between 28 December 2019 and 26 November 2021. Deaths involving COVID-19 includes any death where COVID-19 was a contributory factor to death, not only as the underlying cause of death. These figures are included in our Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales release[1].  Yours sincerely, Professor Sir Ian Diamond  Table 1: Total number of deaths registered[1], and deaths registered involving COVID-19[2], occurring in all settings and private homes[3], between 28 December 2019 and 26 November 2021, England and Wales  Total deaths in all locationsTotal deaths  involving COVID-19[4]Deaths occurring in private homesDeaths occurring in private homes  involving COVID-191,142,940155,502319,8779,333 Source: Office for National Statistics[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/26november2021 [2] Figures are for deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring. More information can be found in the Impact of registrations delay release: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/impactofregistrationdelaysonmortalitystatisticsinenglandandwales/latest[3] Deaths "involving" a cause refer to deaths that had this cause mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, whether as an underlying cause or not.[4] Deaths include non-residents.[5]The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10) definitions are as follows: COVID-19 (U07.1, U07.2, U09.9, U10.9).  UKSA's Letter Response to PQHL4828 (pdf, 126.0KB)

Cabinet Office: Correspondence

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their target for answering written correspondence from the general public; and what percentage of answers met that target in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, and (3) 2021.

Lord True: The Government places great importance on the effective and timely handling of correspondence, including from members of the public. The Cabinet Office currently aims to respond to correspondence from members of the public in 20 working days, in line with the guidance on handling correspondence. The Cabinet Office has responded to: 48% of public correspondence received in 2019 within 20 working days, 82% of public correspondence received in 2020 within 20 working days, and 88% of public correspondence received between 1 January and 31 October 2021 within 20 working days.

Treasury

Import Duties

Lord Borwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Grimstone of Boscobel on 14 December (HL Deb, col 130), what was the total amount in import tariffs collected in (1) financial year 2020–21, and (2) each of the preceding four years.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: In the financial year 2020-21, HMRC received £2,962 million in Customs Duty receipts. In the preceding four years, HMRC received the following yearly amounts for Customs Duty:2016-2017£3,359 million2017-2018£3,412 million2018-2019£3,356 million2019-2020£3,287 million

Trader Support Service

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the total expenditure on the Trader Support Service has been since its commencement.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Since its commencement to November 2021, the total spend on Trader Support Service is £204 million. Trader Support Service (TSS) has handled just under 1.4 million Supplementary Declarations since 1 January 2021, with approximately 44,000 traders registered to use the service. Just over 16,800 of our traders are registered in Northern Ireland, with just over 11,500 of those traders actively using the service.